Sylvan Calendar
The Sylvan Calendar is a method of measuring time in Emain using the units of day, month, and rose. Roses A "rose" is a period of time equal to four years. Specifically, four of Emain's years; 1,444 days. Due to the strange rotation of the planet Emain, the axial tilt of the planet changes on a continuous cycle. A point on this cycle repeats every rose. Years Since the rose is the bulk unit of the calendar, years are named, not numbered. Each year is named after the direction from which Emain's sun and moon rise. The four years of a rose are North, East, South, and West, in that order. In each of these years, the respective Directional Court holds more power than the other three. Days and Months Emain's 361-day year is split up into 24 half-months (and a mid-year leap day) as follows: Date Format For Lith, the date is "North Lith", "East Lith", "South Lith", or "West Lith". During one of the half-months, the date is the name of the year, the possessive form of the name of the half-month, the size of the moon, and the ordinal corresponding to what day of the week it is. (For instance: "South Misevek's Crescent 3" or "East Gelid's Gibbous 6".) The eighth day of a half-month has a different format: The date is the name of the year, the word "Half", and the name of the half-month. (For instance: "West Half Dedref") The ordinal number of the rose is the final element of any date. (For instance: "North Lith, Rose 5" or "South Misevek's Crescent 3, Rose 52".) Seasons Nominally, Spring begins on Direhd's Crescent 1 each year, Summer on Tusamaf's Gibbous 1, Autumn on Dedref's Crescent 1, and Winter on Gelid's Gibbous 1. Spring and Autumn, at 75 days each, are noticeably shorter than Summer and Winter, which are 106 and 105 days respectively. The strange rotation patterns of the planet lead to weather patterns that may not always be consistent with the seasons of the calendar. Holidays Half Direhd, Half Tusamaf, Half Dedref, and Half Gelid are specifically celebrations of their respective Seasonal Courts. Amal is the day of the living, whereas Canolgeim is the day of the dead. Bahz is the day of the dying, and Gwanear is the day of birth as a concept (not to be confused with an individual's birthday). The life-cycle holidays also double as celebrations of the Temporal Courts: Gwanear for Sunrise, Amal for Noon, Bahz for Moonrise, and Canolgeim for Midnight. The four Lith days are celebrations of their respective Directional Courts, held at the height of each court's favored year. Larga and Kynaf are the most complicated of the 11 standalone days. Larga celebrates elves, friendship, adventure, and hope, as well as other things that vary from person to person. Much of the year's harvest is saved for extensive feasting on Larga. Kynaf celebrates fey, family, contemplation, and magic, alongside a variety of personal addenda. Its traditions are very heavily ritualized. Kynaf is far and away the quietest day of each year in Emain. The late afternoon of Mishoden 28 begins a New Year's celebration that ends in the morning of Miskeun 1. Usage The Sylvan Calendar is used in Emain. The concept of months is catching on in Droswal, especially in Toushin-Chihou and Nantou-Chihou. The calendar itself is a subject of study by the scholars of Chiquyca. Category:Fey Category:Time